Frequently Asked Questions

Transcription

1 Partnership Ministries PO Box 25103, Mission Park P.O., Kelowna, B.C. V1W 3Y7, Canada Telephone: Fax: , Frequently Asked Questions Q: WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY EARNED AUTHORITY? A:This is a term that is used to explain the appropriation of an authority God gives to us in an area of our life where earlier there may have been a weakness - a vulnerability an area in which sin was able to access our life and impede our growth and personal transformation in our Christian walk. By addressing such areas specifically, what was once an area of vulnerability can instead become an area in which the authority of Christ as released through the Cross addresses that particular issue and it no longer has the same access in our life and work. Instead, we now have an authority in that area in which we can minister into the lives of other people who have experienced the same problem. Furthermore, loss can be turned into gain and the power of the Cross restores whatever the locusts may have destroyed (c.f. Joel 2:25) This reference can refer to relationships integrity ministry collegiality finances and overall productivity of life as well as the harvest on the land itself. The Blood of Christ cleanses us from sin but the appropriation of this authority within specific areas of our lives results in a life that now reflects that victory of Christ in what previously had been areas of defeat. Q: WHY DO YOU SOMETIMES USE SALT, WALTER, AND OIL WHEN PRAYING OVER LAND? A: For over 35 years, we have watched the Lord perform many miracles when it comes to the subject of praying over land. Several testimonies are seen on the well documented Transformation DVD series which show vivid accounts of property cities and land areas within nations being substantially changed to a degree that the product of the land went from a basic minimum to a profound harvest. Such testimonies and accounts followed a time of prayer that utilized a diagnosis of the area, informed research, and the use of such elements as salt and water, and at times oil, and Communion wine. It opens up a question however - Is this Christian magic? Is this found in the Bible? When did this practice come into the life of the Church? The symbol of salt refers to cleansing, the removal of what is corrupt and is in itself an agent for addressing what is toxic. Reference to this is found in Scripture (2 Kings 2:19-22) in which water is healed and made pure once the salt was released into it as well as Jesus Himself making reference to salt in Luke 14: Meanwhile water is a symbol of satisfying thirst (Mark 9:41) and is also used in cleansing. It is even used as a metaphor of Jesus Himself when referring to the living water in His conversation with the Samaritan woman

2 in John 4:9-14. It satisfies, refreshes, and can symbolise the release of new life. There are many references to water in the Bible. In Early Church days there was a developing practice of using salt and water as a visual means of addressing corruption and releasing new life. The use of oil in Scripture is multi-faceted and involves anointing releasing and healing. Our custodianship as stewards of God s land can at times involve using all these elements as a visual indication of what we are praying through in our areas of responsibility. When combined with proper protocol with an understanding of land from God s perspective which can be redeemed and healed (c.f. Leviticus 25:23-24; 2 Chronicles 7:14) the results we have personally witnessed are profound! Q: WHY SHOULD I PRAY OVER MY LAND MY HOUSE MY BUSINESS? A: We are called to be stewards of all that God has entrusted to us. Our property our assets all we possess, in fact, belongs to the Lord! Just as the King of Nineveh decreed that every man and beast was to be covered with sackcloth during a fast (Jonah 3:8) and just as Obed-Edom s household and assets were blessed while the Ark of the Covenant was in their midst (1 Chronicles 13:14), so it is that the Presence of the Lord does affect everything that is part of our life and work. Practical prayer is a discipline of learning how to ensure that what we have and what we do comes under the Rule and Reign of the God in our lives. As his stewards we are removing what is corrupt and contrary to His plans for us (Jeremiah 1:10 Luke 3:9) - and appropriating His promises and protection and presence in our midst and over what we steward on His behalf. It is both a blessing from the Lord and also a Godly responsibility that we understand the importance of stewarding all that we have in His Name, since we do live in a time of ever-increasing spiritual concerns, as well as in an age of compromise and deception. Therefore, learning how to guard, keep, and occupy in a practical manner is an exercise of prayer that is a key component of our stewardship responsibility. Q: WHY DOES GOD SEEM TO VISIT ONE AREA AS OPPPOSED TO ANOTHER? A: This is actually a very timely question given that we are experiencing God s transforming Presence in several communities these days, even in the West. Since 1999 research and reports have indicated that several communities and nations in Third World nations have experienced such moves of God, but in more recent years we are seeing shift and change occurring even in Western settings. Putting it simply, God will visit any Community when the protocol of welcome is in place. Over the years we have seen that God looks for certain key common denominators on the part of His people, these being humility holiness relational unity integrity and transparency all of which are requirements and key ingredients for well-informed and strategic prayer. If there are issues contrary to the nature and purpose of God that are not being addressed by His people and which are clearly in opposition to His purpose, it is highly unlikely He will visit that Community in a corporate, collective manner. Historical Revivals and Awakenings over the centuries have shown that there needs to be a humble yet tenacious leadership who will not easily be distracted or dissuaded from the task at hand which is to welcome in the

3 Presence of God and to address whatever impediments there may be in order for this to occur. This is further fueled with prevailing and consistent prayer that is well informed of the issues at hand. If there is a willingness to steward what God requires of His people then the likelihood of a genuine Transformational Revival taking place is heightened exponentially. One of Charles Finney s observations during the revivals he witnessed was that once the Presence of God came to an area, the people seemed to lose their appetite for tenacious prayer over a period of time and then the Revival soon began to wane. God looks for certain attractors before He releases His Presence in His midst. Q: WHAT EXACTLY IS EXPERIENTIAL THEOLOGY AND EXTRA-BIBLICAL THEOLOGY? A: Simply put, Experiential Theology looks for the experience initially and then forms doctrine or interpretation of Scripture based on the actual experience, even if it does not fit into the normal orthodoxy or praxis of the church. There is growing awareness of new revelation being given today to certain people in the church, and in part this is due to the hunger for spiritual insight and satisfaction. Justification for these new expressions is then often framed within what is termed as Extra Biblical Theology since it does not necessarily conform to historically accepted measures for testing and weighing what may be of God. This hunger for spiritual insight and experience then causes people to abandon earlier measures of testing visitations prophetic words and new revelation. Scripture such as 2 Thessalonians 2 warns that this will occur in the latter days with some seeking higher revelation and higher knowledge which easily lead to deception, straying well beyond Biblical boundaries. It is sobering to read that this can lead to a powerful delusion sent to those who have not believed in truth but have delighted in wickedness (cf 2 Thessalonians 2:11). Challenging words for today s Church. God is speaking to His people today and there is genuine Revival and transformation and a genuine power of the Holy Spirit being released. However, it is important that we keep our expression and experience of this earthed within the boundaries of the Word of God that is always going to be our litmus test. 1 John 4:1-4 is a reminder of the necessity of testing everything in order that we can always recognize the Spirit of God as opposed to any other spirit vying for our attention. Q: WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THE SEVEN DOORS OF ACCESS POINTS OF A COMMUNITY? A: We have found over many years of working with communities and cities of varying sizes, that each location normally has 7 major areas of influence that have significant cause-and-effect upon the ebb and flow of that area. These seven areas or spheres of activity and influence include The Church The Legal Sphere The Political Sphere The Educational Sphere the Sphere of Radio, TV, Media and Athletics the Medical Sphere and, on occasion the Armed Forces, if there is a presence of any branch of the Military in that place. At times these are described as Doorways, or Gateways and there are teachings that refer to mountains though that is in fact quite a separate subject.

4 Identifying these areas of influence or activity enables us to diagnose more specifically the various areas of weakness and strength that may have caused both positive and negative influence over years, if not generations. This, in turn, allows for more specific and strategic prayer when one is aware of the concerns in each of these areas that in any way may have had significant influence in a community. Scripture is quite clear that God has plans and purposes for cities and communities to be changed and transformed (c.c. Proverbs 11:10-11; Ecclesiastes 9:14-15; Acts 8:8; Acts 9:35) into their optimum purpose. When people who represent these various spheres of influence learn how to identify with issues that needed to be addressed both historically and in the present generation, which includes their confessing and repenting of collective sins, renouncing what is contrary to God s purposes and releasing the healing and transforming power of God then change will occur. It is both an individual and collective form of stewardship, responding with Godly protocol to a strategy that God gives to His people unique to each area. To witness an area receiving corporate insight and understanding into its unique destiny is quite profound. In 2 Chronicles 29 we read of Hezekiah and his people who lived in a time of devastation which was the result of many years of corrupt leadership and idolatrous living. A strategy unfolds involving the spiritual leadership and all the city officials - and then in vs.36 we are told that Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced at what God had brought about for His people, because it was done so quickly. This describes the process of transformation. Q: ARE RENEWAL, REVIVAL, AND TRANSFORMATION THE SAME THING? A: This question is raised regularly these days. The quick answer is no. Renewal is the stirring up of the people of God in a given area to the love and purpose of God with a fresh awareness of the activity of the Holy Spirit and a return to the seeking of God s power in their lives. It is an empowering of the Holy Spirit and an enrichment of the fruit of the Spirit in their lives, often releasing a new discovery of praise and adoration and worship with a fresh understanding of God s call in our lives. Revival is the reviving or restoration of the Presence of God returning to His people in order that His Presence lives in their midst thus affecting every part of life in that Church in a corporate and collective manner. A new desire for prayer and a new urgency to respond to the purposes of God begins to descend upon people both within and beyond the church walls. Conversions begin to increase and a Fear of the Lord begins to descend upon an area. The people in that area have extended an invitation for the Lord to come and dwell in their midst and they are willing to submit every aspect of life under His Kingdom Rule and Reign. Transformation, meanwhile, becomes the result of lasting Revival in that the very fabric of life in any given area then begins to respond to the activity and Presence of God at work. In time the various components of life in that area begin to reflect the activity of God s Presence through changed lives and a heightened sense of the values of the Kingdom of God at every level of life. Today there are hundreds of examples of communities and cities that have received a Divine visitation which, when stewarded correctly by the people of God, became authentic Transformation. While not perfection, the change in many of the components of corporate life can

5 be easily discerned in which the Presence of God has affected the social and economic aspects of a community as well as even the ecology itself. Renewal, Revival, and Transformation all represent God s amazing love for His people at different levels and intensities. The amazing thing is that He longs to dwell in the midst of His people and we are living in a day and age in which we are witnessing this taking place in various locations even prior to the Return of Christ. However, the extent to which Transformation takes place depends on the willingness of people to listen to the Lord individually and collectively, and then their willingness to respond to what He is saying. Q: HOW CAN I OPERATE MY BUSINESS AS A KINGDOM BUSINESS? A: This question is raised regularly during our schools for marketplace ministry. Behind it often is found another question Why is it when I became a Christian that suddenly I had all sorts of problems arise in my business or place of work? There is a difference between a Christian operating in a business but still utilizing purely secular methods and insights and a Kingdom business in which the overall productivity and infrastructure of the business is structured in such a way that it reflects the Glory of God. It is also a business that operates within a worldview that is cognisant of spiritual issues unlike many businesses that operate purely in a pragmatic and analytical manner. Spiritual warfare does take place within businesses owned and operated by Christians. There are specific areas of strategy and development that are developed right from the owners to clients, and from the raw products to the final products and commodities ready for export or sale, as well as how to navigate the challenge of third party agreements and investments. These are all subject to spiritual influence both positive and negative. Furthermore, Kingdom businesses understand the importance of utilizing prayer in a tangible and strategic manner both for the employer the employees the clients as well as for the final products. This material was taken from the PartnershipMinistries.org website Frequently Asked Questions Partnership Ministries PO Box 25103, Mission Park P.O., Kelowna, B.C. V1W 3Y7, Canada Telephone: Fax: , info@partnershipministries.org